Colorado § 26.5-4-103 - Definitions.

§ 26.5-4-103. Definitions.

As used in this part 1, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Applicant" means an individual or a family who submits an application to the Colorado child care assistance program.

(1.5) "Child care assistance program" or "CCCAP" means the public assistance program for child care known as the Colorado child care assistance program established in this part 1.

(2) "Colorado universal preschool program" means the state preschool program established in part 2 of this article 4.

(3) "County department" means the county or district department of human or social services, or, for functions and responsibilities administered pursuant to the centralized member integrity service, established in section 25.5-1-210, a county contracted to administer the centralized member integrity service pursuant to section 25.5-1-210.

(3.5) "Customer service" means activities that provide one-on-one support for families in submitting applications and navigating services, and providing access to transparent and easy-to-understand consumer education resources for the Colorado child care assistance program.

(4) "Early care and education provider" means a school district or provider that is licensed pursuant to part 3 of article 5 of this title 26.5 or that participates in the Colorado preschool program pursuant to article 28 of title 22, as it existed prior to July 1, 2023, or the Colorado universal preschool program pursuant to part 2 of this article 4.

(5) "Enrollment contract" means a contractual agreement directly with a provider or network that assures a specified number of child care service enrollments will be made available to serve a specified number of children who qualify for child care assistance. Enrollment contracts are an allowable use of federal child care funds.

(6) "Head start program" means a program operated by a local public or private nonprofit agency designated by the federal department of health and human services to operate a head start program pursuant to the provisions of Title V of the federal "Economic Opportunity Act of 1964", as amended.

(7) "High-quality early childhood program" means a program that is operated by a provider with a fiscal agreement through CCCAP and that is in the top three levels of the state's quality rating and improvement system, is accredited by a department-approved accrediting body, or is an early head start or head start program that meets federal standards.

(8) "Participant" means a participant, as defined in section 26-2-703 (15), in the Colorado works program.

(9) "Provider" means a child care provider licensed pursuant to part 3 of article 5 of this title 26.5 that has an agreement or enrollment contract to participate in the child care assistance program.

(10) "Recipient" means an individual or a family who is receiving or has received benefits from the Colorado child care assistance program pursuant to the provisions of this part 1.

(11) "Regular provider reimbursement rate" means the base rate paid for child care and excludes any additional payment for additional fees that are included in the reimbursement paid to providers.

(12) "Works program" means the Colorado works program established pursuant to part 7 of article 2 of title 26.

Source: L. 2022: Entire article added with relocations, (HB 22-1295), ch. 123, p. 660, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2024: (1) amended and (1.5) and (3.5) added, (HB 24-1223), ch. 390, p. 2696, § 3, effective June 4. L. 2026: (3) amended, (HB 26-1429), ch. 374, p. 2317, § 18, effective June 4.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 26-2-802.5 as it existed prior to 2022.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 24-1223, see section 1 of chapter 390, Session Laws of Colorado 2024. For the legislative declaration in HB 26-1429, see section 1 of chapter 374, Session Laws of Colorado 2026.